Social Media has never been as important as this year. Bloggers are now invited to sit on the front rows, not only focusing on early-days streetstyles. They work closely with brands on the marketing side, but are also more and more involved in the creative process. Karl Lagerfeld regulary meets bloggers. Alexandre de Betak, one of the most famous Art Directors, is now contributing to Caroline Daily’s personal blog. A real revolution in the fashion world.

Fashion bloggers aren’t just cool guys with cool cameras anymore. They not only shoot themselves in a mirror. They are designers, freelance consultants, copywriters, sometimes wannabe stars. Female AND male. Or so-called “slashers“:

“For the typical member of Gen Y, as well as the soon-to-be working age Millennials, the typical behaviour patterns of immediate pleasure seeking, multitasking and low boredom thresholds (typically all summed into the phrase ‘instant on’) makes slashing particularly appealing. (…) It is no surprise that greater quantities of people under 30 are choosing to have portfolio careers”.

Quality is enhanced: some bloggers now have their personal photographers. New skills are appearing in blog-posts: art direction, production, work with agencies. Talent managers are now targeting these people, booking them with the right brands.

social media in fashion for fashion

When fashionistas meet entrepreneurs

On eBay France, fashion-related items are the most sought and sold. Some investors decided to dive into these new markets, trying to encourage young platforms to rise. Even if the gap can be huge between creatives and techies, it’s now melting:

“What we know unequivocally is that the momentum fashion startups are having–and this phenomenon of fashion, technology and finance coming together–won’t be slowing down in 2012.”

In France, Ben & Fakto has just conciliated fashion needs and post-crisis reality, focusing on “happy fashion” and social marketing, partnering with Babyloan.

What used to be 2 opposite worlds, is now merging. Because digital culture is now directly impacting the way fashion rejuvenates its ideas, finding new roots to some kinds of digital undergrounds. Main famous brands are now on TumblR, a way to propagate their vision of fashion but also to directly plug with new trendsetters. Trendsetters because they MAKE trends (photography etc.).

From inner circle to pervasive fashion

Communication used to be mastered. Authorized journalists were covering the runways. It was an inner-circle of happy fews. Where brands were only challenged by other brands. This time is over.

Traditional Haute Couture brands need to shape new paths. Because the inner-circle is becoming more and more pervasive. The agenda is challenged; there are now so many Fashion Weeks worldwide that there’s too much noise to only count on them. New media like Refinery 29 are dismantling Vogue or other traditional opinion leaders. Bloggers take the lead and do not hesitate anymore to claim when these editorial pipelines go wrong. The last example against ELLE France (accused of racism) has demonstrated that it’s no longer “fashion top journalists” against “the people”; and convinced us that “Eagles” can sometimes be cheap.

When classic catwalks aren’t enough to emerge

Since Louis Vuitton in 2009, the very first luxury brand to broadcast its fashion show live on Facebook, all the other brands have tried to follow the idea that a catwalk needed to be live. That this catwalk should be broadcast, commented, shared, by online communities of influencers. That the most important thing was to generated weak links, “hyphenated marketing“, that could be activated at the best time. We’ve seen in January that it’s not that easy to organize: during the last Gucci live stream catwalk (Men collection), we were only some dozens to live-chat on the related platform. Not much impact compared to Burberry.

Because it requires many skills (Social CRM, digital branding, Social Media Marketing) that cannot be improvized.

“Converting the sale online should be the very next focus for fashion sales online,” noted
Cohen, “Getting the consumer to go from browsing to purchasing takes new information beyond just product photos and price. It takes convincing the consumer to push the purchase button.”

A world in which Social Media is not an asset apart. But the core one.

Live streaming of fashion shows has become de rigueur but we’re taking it up a notch with Digital Fashion Week (DFW). As the world’s first live streaming only fashion week, DFW will unify fashion and technology innovation in this groundbreaking advancement.

Gone is the era of front row guests at the traditional fashion weeks. This time, we’re going digital. For the first time in fashion history, a fashion week will be live streamed solely online, and consumers can shop their favorite looks off the runway in real time and have them delivered in a matter of weeks – way before they hit the stores.

A high-profile showcase of celebrated designers from every major city, DFW gives designers the ability to reach out to consumers worldwide and global audiences absolute access into the world of fashion.

Labeled by CNN Go as ‘The Next Big Names in Singapore Fashion’, DFW is organized by the creative minds of STORM Creative Events Agency. As the pioneer of fashion show live streaming in Singapore in May 2011, it garnered a record high of 500,000 viewers from 90 countries within a week.

This October will see DFW’s debut edition, Digital Fashion Week Singapore exclusively available for viewing at http://www.digitalfashionweek.com. The twice-yearly event boasts an exciting designer lineup of Singapore’s biggest names presenting their Spring/Summer 2013 collections, with a special appearance by an international guest designer marking the inaugural event in a debut runway show.

Mr. Keyis Ng, co-founder of Digital Fashion Week states, “Until now, no digital platform as powerful as DFW hasexisted for designers to reach out to people worldwide.”

Besides live coverage of DFW front row and backstage buzz, interviews with designers and artistes and fringe events, DFW incorporates new features such as live runway commentaries by key fashion figures, pre-show performances by internationally renowned artistes and a one-stop mobile application to provide users with instant fashion show live streaming, videos, runway photos, designers information and e-commerce shopping – giving the global audiences a dynamic fashion week experience like never before.

Digital Fashion Week consists of three main elements:

Front Row Access: Live backstage action of hair and makeup. Live interviews with models, designers, hair and makeup artists. Live pre-show performances by renowned artistes. Live runway shows with special appearances by top models . Live runway commentary by key fashion figures. Live post-show party coverage.

Real-Time Shopping: Consumers can buy their favorite designs off the runway instantly and have them delivered within a matter of weeks.

Power to Influence: Consumers will have the unique opportunity to provide the designers with instant feedback. The pre-orders made for every collection will provide designers with insights into market trends.

Mr. Keyis Ng, co-founder of DFW states, “Until now, no digital platform as powerful as DFW has existed for designers to reach out to people worldwide. We aim to harness technology and creativity to promote home-grown designers in each city to the global audiences by capitalizing on the hype generated from the fashion shows. The buzz created will then be directly converted into sales and sync the fashion communication cycle with its retail cycle.”

In conjunction with Digital Fashion Week Singapore, a virtual B2B platform, DFW Digital Showroom will also be launched. Press, buyers and retailers from all over the world can enjoy exclusive access to intimate collection presentations by the DFW designers through lookbook images and pre-recorded videos made available immediately after every fashion show. DFW will be the ultimate digital fashion gateway in connecting designers to the world.

“Singapore has grown to be Asia’s most network-ready country with one of the highest mobile penetrations in the world. The age of Digital Fashion is here; it is the perfect timing for the fashion industry to embrace the future of technology, first-hand in Singapore.” co-founder of DFW, Ms.Charina Widjaja said.

Besides its official launch as a twice-yearly event in Singapore, DFW will also proceed to other major cities around the world.

Show schedule, designer and performance lineup, additional updates will be announced in August 2012.

Frontrow DFW Digital Fashion Week Singapore 2012

About Digital Fashion Week Private Limited Digital Fashion Week Pte Ltd was founded in 2012 by the creative minds behind STORM Creative Events Agency. STORM is widely recognized for pushing boundaries by combining technology with lifestyle and was named by ELLE Singapore as ‘The Name to Watch’ within the first year of its launch. STORM has also been featured several times in leading publications namely Marketing Magazine UK, CIO Asia, Springwise.com, TrendHunter.com, The Straits Times, The New Paper, Lian He Zao Bao and many more. The team at STORM has worked with many established fashion houses ranging from high-end designer labels to mass market brands.

From online retail sites to mobile apps, last year was all about fashion websites/apps. ShoeMint (all the Mint properties, really), Moda Operandi, OpenSky. The list can go on and on. But 2012 will be even bigger and better. Fashion technology is rapidly growing thanks to new apps and sites that are shaking up the digital space, offering users a chance to dive into their closet and rediscover their style.

From selling your clothes back to booking discount beauty appointments, the new wave of apps and websites make being a gal so much easier.

Here is a list of the 5 Apps and Sites I’m keeping an eye on (and you should too):

Reqoop Mobile Fashion App

1. ReQoop: Do you ever find something amazing at a store, snap a picture, then forget where you were when you found said amazingness? It happens to me all the time! However, enter ReQoop, the newest mobile app that allows you to take pictures of items at your favorite store, upload them to the site, then share them with other users. It’s like having a personalized catalog with items from all of your favorite stores!

Buyosphere Mobile Fashion App

2. Buyosphere: The best part about having a personal stylist is being able to ask them all sorts of questions. Where to purchase things, what kind of items you should stick with, etc. Instead of paying for a pricey stylist, try using Buyosphere, a website that tracks your purchases and gives you the chance to host your own Q/A with your fellow shoppers. Need to find a white maxi dress? Ask Buyosphere. Want to know what is trending in colors? Ask Buyosphere. It basically acts as your personal shopper! What could be greater than that?

Lifebooker Mobile Fashion and Beauty App

3. Lifebooker: When it comes to beauty treatments, you need to book appointments fast. You don’t have time for chit-chat nor do you want to sit on the phone for an hour trying to find an open spot on your stylist’s calendar. You want something quick and relatively cheap that leaves you looking gorgeous. Thanks to LifeBooker, you can search for salon, spa and beauty deals near you. Getting your eyebrows waxed now is almost painless.

Poshmark Mobile Fashion App

4. Poshmark: Move over, eBay. Poshmark is here to make your clothes reselling experience 10x more enjoyable. With Poshmark, you can browse a fellow fashion girl’s closet, sell your (gently) worn designer clothes, and participate in virtual meetups and shopping parties. With its secure database and easy interface, it has never been easier to make money of off your wardrobe’s neglected pieces.

MADE Fashion Week Mobile Fashion App

5. MADE Fashion Week: Thanks to Milk Made, fashion’s cutting edge resource and studio, runway collections can be delivered straight to your smartphone. Users get live access to collections, share favorite looks with social media followers and learn more about designers. For every blogger who attends fashion week and can’t be at every show, this is your best friend. Or, for the fashion lover who wants front-row access, this app gives you an up-close-and-personal view of Milk Studio’s hottest collections.

NY Magazine recently named their favorite fashion-centric apps to see which ones are worth your precious downloading time! Below are their top ten picks for the iPhone.

shopstyle mobile Fashion App

ShopStyle: Mobile
This site’s stylish and intuitive spinoff app aggregates clothing and accessories from more than 100 e-commerce sites (Asos, Bluefly, and Neiman Marcus among them). Poke around indiscriminately or filter by category, keyword, brand, store, price, color, size, and sale. If you fall in love, the site forwards you to an online retailer. The free app is best for those who don’t really know what they want (“a white dress … maybe sleeveless … ideally under $200″) and would like to cast a wide net to see what’s out there. Download it here!

Chicfeed Fashion App

Chicfeed
This bare-bones app pulls photos from some of the Internet’s most respected style blogs, including the Sartorialist, Face Hunter, and Lookbook. The sorting functionality — or lack thereof — leaves something to be desired, but if you’re just seeking quick-hit eye candy, there’s no better way to see loads of style snaps all in one spot. The app is available two ways: free with advertising or 99 cents without. Download it here!

DVF - Diane Von Furstenberg mobile fashion app

Diane Von Furstenberg
While many designers with apps remain skeptical about mobile commerce, Von Furstenberg told W, “We already do so many things from our phones, so shopping is a natural progression.” Accordingly, DVF’s app allows users to shop via a “Looks We Love” section or by thumbing through the collections — albeit not 24/7. (Our nighttime request to purchase a one-shoulder floral dress wasn’t addressed until regular business hours.) Still, DVF gets props for rounding out the app with Facebook-sharing capabilities and access to her Twitter feed. Download it here!

GAP StyleMixer Mobile Fashion App

Gap StyleMixer
This innovative brand app allows you to mix and match Gap items with pieces already hanging in your closet. Create outfits using uploaded photos or use the “Mixer” to browse Gap products and create head-to-toe new looks. Shake your phone and the Mixer will generate a random combination of pieces, including shoes and accessories. The “Community” function allows you to share your uploaded looks, as well as check out combos other app users are creating. On the downside, if you’re near a Gap location, you can also supposedly “unlock” a special promotion on your phone; we tried, but were lamely told to “check back soon for a new offer.” Download it here!

Glamour Ask a Stylist Mobile Fashion App

GlamourAsk a Stylist
Wang or Wu? Jeggings or jorts? Dr. Scholl’s with socks or without? These are the types of pressing sartorial questions one might bounce off a trusted friend — or one of Glamour’s on-call app stylists. Here’s how it works: Browse their mini-bios (some are from glamour.com, others from Craigslist), choose the one most up your aesthetic alley, upload your outfit pic and/or inquiry, and wait. Our selected stylist responded to our day-to-night dilemma fifteen minutes after we fired off our request. And, in true women’s-mag fashion, we were given an extra boost of confidence (“You’ll look awesome wherever you go!”). A solid bet for the indecisive. Download it here!

iShoes Mobile Fashion App

iShoes
Scroll through more than 50,000 kicks in the shoe-porn Finder, or search the sea of shoes by style and designer. The app indicates which pairs are on sale and connects you straight to buy-it-now retailers. The app is free, functional, and offers decent-size closeups of each item, though we hope its creators introduce better browsing filters (like color, size, heel height, material, etc.) with the next update. Download it here!

Lucky at your Service Mobile Fashion App

Luckyat Your Service
This free app uses GPS, e-commerce, and flesh-and-blood staffers to hunt down editor-approved clothing, shoes, accessories, and beauty products. Once you’ve settled on that to-die-for Nanette Lepore dress, the app will direct you to an online retailer, and in select cases, a store within 50 miles (typing in a Manhattan Zip Code netted results within the five boroughs, as well as White Plains, New Jersey, and Long Island) that stocks it. If you’re game for an in-person pickup, tell the app your desired size and color, and the Lucky ”concierge team” will call the store to see if it’s available (regular business hours apply). If it is, they’ll even ask the store to set it aside for same-day pickup. The app was super-buggy when it first debuted and is still slow, but it’s the closest us proletarians may ever get to having a personal assistant.Download it here!

Lustr Fashion Finder Mobile App

Lustr Fashion Finder
Get off the G train in a new ‘hood and want to kill time at a men’s business accessories trunk show within walking distance of where you are? This impressive sales and promo finder shows you exactly what’s happening in real time near you, and draws up a list of upcoming events and promotions searchable by distance, neighborhood, and time remaining before sale end. Navigate sales based on your location and specify down to the type of product you’re looking for (accessories, beauty products, shoes, etc.), the occasion for which you’re shopping (working out, getting married, etc.), or the style you’re going for (edgy, preppy, etc.). You can even create an itinerary and score exclusive-to-Lustr deals. Download it here!

Style.Com Mobile Fashion App By Condé Nast Digital

Style.com
Instead of downloading a bunch of individual designer apps, peruse this hub of major ready-to-wear and couture collections (including menswear), dating back several years. The free app features runway videos beamed to your iPhone hours after the collections debut, as well as show reviews and photos of every look. Supplemental features include international party-scene coverage and access to the site’s Style File blog. The app occasionally stalls and crashes, but it’s thoroughly comprehensive and easy to use. Download it here!

StyleBook Mobile Fashion App

Stylebook
Like most wardrobe-organizing apps, Stylebook ($3.99) lets you upload photos from your closet, tag and categorize everything you own, plan out what you’ll wear in the coming month, and track how many times you’ve worn each piece. But unlike the others, it allows you to move, assemble, and resize pieces from your wardrobe right on the screen, layering outfits to see exactly how they might look. The biggest drawback was the app’s inability to edit out the background from uploaded photos — your best bet is to use the “manual erase” function, or just Photoshop it out yourself before uploading. All in all, Cher Horowitz would be pleased.Download it here!

The new version of Google Goggles, Goggles 1.3 client for Android, faster and smarter than ever before can scan barcodes almost instantly. All versions of Goggles can now recognize print ads in popular magazines and newspapers. Finally, Goggles has also learned a fun new trick for Sudoku fans.

Barcodes

When shopping offline, it’s helpful to be able to learn more about a product by scanning its barcode. With the new Android version of Google Goggles, scanning barcodes is much faster. Open Goggles and hover over the barcode or QR code. Within a second the phone gently vibrates and presents results, without requiring a button press. Simply tap on the result to read product reviews, check in-store availability and compare prices.

Print ads in magazines and newspapers

We’re excited to take another step in our vision of connecting offline media to online media. The next time you’re flipping through the pages of your favorite magazine, try taking a picture of an ad with Goggles. Goggles will recognize print ad and return web search results about the product or brand. This new feature of Goggles is enabled for print ads appearing in major U.S. magazines and newspapers from August 2010 onwards.

This feature is different from the marketing experiment that we announced in November. We’re now recognizing a much broader range of ads than we initially included in our marketing experiment. And when we recognize a print ad, we return web search results. While in the experiment, we return a specific link to an external website.

Sudoku

Our favorite weekend distraction is a quiet 15 minutes spent solving a Sudoku puzzle. But even that can be an frustrating experience if (like us) you make a mistake and are unable to solve the puzzle. Now, Goggles on Android and iPhone can recognize puzzles and provide answers to help make you faster than a Sudoku champ. So if you ever get stuck, take a clear picture of the entire puzzle with Goggles and we’ll tell you the correct solution. Check out this video to see how it works.

Google Goggles 1.3 with improved barcode scanning is available for download in Android Market. Recognition of print ads and Sudoku solver is now enabled for the Google Goggles app on Android, as well as the Goggles component of the Google Mobile App on iPhone.

Italian fashion conglomerate Roberto Cavalli is rolling out Google Apps to streamline disparate e-mail systems and help staffers organize images and video. Here’s a look at their decision.

Fashion Marketing Lessons, Google Logo Italy

Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli had an IT mess on its hands. In the last year, it reorganized internally, consolidating 27 assets into nine, and in the process, faced the challenge of streamlining its many disparate systems into one.

“Everyone was on different systems, different servers,” says Carlo Di Biagio, chief operating officer at Roberto Cavalli. “We needed to decide how we were going to manage the internal systems and get everyone communicating together,” he says.

Roberto Cavalli: Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2011

Roberto Cavalli’s IT team analyzed and tested several solutions and ultimately chose Google (GOOG) Apps as its new communication and collaboration technology. One factor they weighed heavily: Some Roberto Cavalli employees were already using Gmail for personal use and were familiar with the Google Apps suite, Di Biagio says. Plus, they estimated it would save the business more than $50,000 per year in overhead costs and via increased productivity.

Roberto Cavalli recently deployed Gmail across the business—replacing its FTgate e-mail servers—giving staff members the flexibility of sending and receiving e-mails from any Internet-enabled device. This also gave Roberto Cavalli’s 500-person team access to shared calendars, making scheduling appointments on the road easier than before.

Fashion Marketing Lessons, Google Logo

The next phase of adoption, expected to be completed in the next few months, involve using Google Sites to create an intranet that will organize, search and share picture archives of collections and catwalk shows. Previously, picture archives were very disorganized, Di Biagio says.

Until about 10 years ago, all Roberto Cavalli images from events, fashion shows and photo shoots were stored in hard-copy only. When the business started digitizing the images, it lacked a categorization method. The result: multiple copies of the same image were stored in 10 to 15 different places, eating up valuable space on the servers.

“One of the things with fashion that’s really important is the patrimony of images,” he says. “You have vintage stuff that goes back maybe 40 years, and sometimes it’s really important to be able to get some creative ideas to replicate or modify old styles and make them new to improve the DNA of the brand.” In using Google Images, photos will be tagged appropriately—down to the most detailed descriptions.

Fashion Marketing Lessons, Google Logo

“We’ll be able to categorize a photo from a collection by typing in something like, ‘red, stripes, bottom of leg,'” Di Biagio says. “The designers or retail departments will be able to find what they’re looking for easily—they won’t have to send big images back and forth to each other. And you can stay right in the Google system while you work.”

Google Apps 2011, Roberto Cavalli Special Runway Video SS 2012

Also on tap for Roberto Cavalli: migrating catwalk videos to Google Video, making them instantly searchable and available to all Roberto Cavalli boutiques across the world.

Di Biagio says that they’re taking a measured approach to training Roberto Cavalli employees. Employees will be trained in Gmail first. As the company adds more apps to its suite of tools, it will hold training sessions for individual departments. The key, he says, is to ensure employees aren’t overwhelmed by the tools, increasing the odds that they’ll actually use them frequently in the workplace. The company expects the deployment and training to be complete in six to eight months, Di Biagio says.

“We have been very pleased to work with Google. [Google Apps] has a lot of features, and I think we’ve only just seen the surface of what we can do with it,” Di Biagio says. “I expect [our migration to Google Apps] to inject life into the business, as it is making it easier to collaborate and communicate.”

Top Rated

Top Rated

Blogroll

A Very Merry Xmas and Happy 2013 to all! May your creativity and aspirations be flowing and all your wishes and dreams come true! All the best to all! Enjoy! Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel Fantasies’ Old Navy ‘Twas the Jordan Knight … Continue reading →

Fashion Week Ready-to-Wear Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Collection. Social Media has never been as important as this year. Bloggers are now invited to sit on the front rows, not only focusing on early-days streetstyles. They work closely with brands on the marketing side, … Continue reading →

Live streaming of fashion shows has become de rigueur but we’re taking it up a notch with Digital Fashion Week (DFW). As the world’s first live streaming only fashion week, DFW will unify fashion and technology innovation in this groundbreaking … Continue reading →

Facebook could be worth nearly $140 billion by today’s market close The social network priced its shares at $38 apiece, valuing the company at $104 billion. The average first-day “pop” for a technology company is 32 percent; if Facebook follows that trend, it’ll be … Continue reading →

From online retail sites to mobile apps, last year was all about fashion websites/apps. ShoeMint (all the Mint properties, really), Moda Operandi, OpenSky. The list can go on and on. But 2012 will be even bigger and better. Fashion technology … Continue reading →

Looking for a great fashion app? Happy Downloading!! NY Magazine recently named their favorite fashion-centric apps to see which ones are worth your precious downloading time! Below are their top ten picks for the iPhone. ShopStyle: Mobile This site’s … Continue reading →

Motoring website Auto Trader is one of the first organisations to deploy an app for Facebook’s new Timeline. Auto Trader said the app will provide people with a chance to tell their friends which cars they really “want”, bringing some … Continue reading →

The appointment of Manish Arora as creative director at Paco Rabanne has resulted in the delightful reinterpretation of the designer’s ubiquitous chain mail dresses. Digging through the archives, Arora translates Paco Rabane’s vision for the 21st century using innovative technologies. Unlike Rabanne’s dresses from … Continue reading →

Getting lost is a common problem for Alzheimer’s patients and their caretakers. Often when they go on walks they often forget their way and don’t remember how to return home. As a result, patients are at risk of injury, even … Continue reading →

The new version of Google Goggles, Goggles 1.3 client for Android, faster and smarter than ever before can scan barcodes almost instantly. All versions of Goggles can now recognize print ads in popular magazines and newspapers. Finally, Goggles has also learned a fun … Continue reading →